cream of the crop

book cover: http://www.neilgaiman.com
Smoke and Mirrors is a collection of published short stories of Neil Gaiman. The book is strikingly eerie and dark but it is really inspired that magnified the talent of the author. There is an introduction to each short story and it was impressive that Gaiman was able to get most of his stories in his random experiences and mundane topics.

The short fictions in this book are all jewels in the literary crown of Neil Gaiman. But there are still some that stood out from the rest, which really tickled my imagination, gave me goose bumps and rattled me. These are the stories which hunts me long after I finished the book and still made me think and wonder. Here is the cream of the crop this highly imaginative book in no particular order.

1. Don’t Ask Jack
Gaiman mentioned in his introduction that he got the idea of writing this story when he saw a demonic sculpture of a Jack in a box. There is really something creepy about a sinister clown popping out from a box. The children refuse to play the creepy ancient Jack in the box, but there are certain times that they walk in the night, as if in the trance, to look into the toy box and play with Jack. The children grew up but tragedy struck the family as one of the children died in the war and one got insane who attempted to burn down the house. The surviving children refuse to inherit the house. Jack was stuck in the deteriorating house, but he was patiently waiting for new children to play with him. He claimed that he would just stay there, claiming that he can wait forever.

2. Changes
In this science fiction, there is finally a cure for cancer. But in order to be cured, the gender of the patient is going to be changed. I liked the story because it showed how the society was affected and reacted in this breakthrough. The word ‘changes’ was not used in its’ former meaning anymore. Religions had different dogma about this procedure. People were persecuted because of they were accused that they changed their gender illegally. The pills were abused by junkies who used it as recreational drugs. Cancer was finally cured but not without a major societal shift which not next impossible in this modern time.

3. Tasting
This erotic tale took the author a long time to finish because he was embarrassed with what he was writing. It was a relief that he overcame that awkwardness because the story was really one of his best works. More than the detailed love making, the premise of the story was really intriguing. Is the woman an alien, hence the delicate silver hoop earrings, who has the power to absorb the memory of his lover then swiftly killing him off? Or is he just representing sex as something as powerful that can suck one’s being, soul and life? It can go either way, that’s why it is so unforgettable.

4. Murder Mysteries
This is Gaiman’s take on the story of creation. The angels are God’s designers in creating the world. Conflict risen when the angels conceptualize Love and Death. An angel was murdered and it was up to Raguel to solve the murder mystery. With his intensive investigation, the murderer and his motives were uncovered and he was sentenced to die. Lucifer, the high-ranking angel felt that the punishment was wrong. He anguished in confusion, crying as he said that what happened was ‘not right’, ‘not just’. When Raguel was alone with God, he confronts Him that he was the one who ‘pulled the strings’ on the event that happened and defeated said “Perhaps it is true that happens is in accordance with Your will, and thus it is good. But sometimes you leave blood on Your instruments.” It was brilliant.

5. Snow, Glass, Apples
This is tale of Snow White in the point of view of the supposed evil stepmother. Snow White in this tale was described as she was in the original story except that she has yellow sharp teeth and likes to suck blood out of you. I can’t help but sympathize with the story of the stepmother, on how she was terrified by the bizarre child, on how she just protected the kingdom against her and the queen’s tragic end when she met the unforgiving revenge of the child. Gaiman’s take was actually more dramatic and exciting compared to the original Snow White story.